The Drunken Warden
by helila
Summary: I don't have time now to work on this story, but will do later- There is a festival at the edge of the Korcari Wilds. Six people's lives will be changed forever as one of them casts a spell in public. OC story, all characters belong to me. Story is set 4 years before the Blight.
1. Chapter 1

-Fool.  
Gaeta shook her head, as the guards tied the hands of the young mage boy and pulled him away towards the castle. Just a moment ago this young lad had cast a walking bomb on the Chasind Wilders, who -by still unclear reasons- attacked the revellers celebrating the unification of the three neighbouring villages.  
She wasn't interested in the festival, she simply needed to get some supplies and rest before continuing her runaway. The tent camp was built by the travellers around the castle and it was the perfect place to set up her own tent, where she could finally sleep without fearing that the forest's beasts might attack her. The outskirts of the Korcari wilds had been her home for the past two months and they had kept her safe from templars and bandits, but not from it's other inhabitants.  
It was her plan to stay for one or two nights since these festivals tended to last a few days at least. But now this fool boy and the attack had spoiled everything. What if the lord of the castle orders the guards to search for more mages? What if the Chasind attack again? Gaeta stood nervously, chewing on her lip while she stared after the guards and the boy.  
_I should go. I should go right now_, she thought. But there was another strange feeling in her heart besides fear, and something in her mind told her not to run yet.

Noir walked out of the castle free and unharmed. He did not quite understand what this strange lord wanted from him, and why did his creepy servant pushed his bloody hand in his face. Such a weird place.  
Why did they even arrest him in the first place? He thought helping them with his magic against the bloodthirsty Chasind would be most welcome. He knew all these people living here and they too had known him since his birth, so defending them was the least he could have done. Thank the Maker that Mother hadn't been here to see all of this…  
The youngster walked towards the gate, lost in his thoughts and trying to solve these mysterious happenings with all the wisdom of his seventeen years. He did not notice the growing crowd around him, or how the guards were shepherding the people indoors. Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm and pulled him. He did not recognize who it was until they stopped at a quieter part of one of the smaller courtyards. A pair of amber colored eyes were looking into his with anger and disbelief.  
"How did you get out?" asked a low feminine voice.  
Noir stepped back to take a look at his captor. The eyes and the voice belonged to a brown-skinned girl. Her green tunic-like dress was torn and dirty like she had rolled all the way from Denerim to this place. As he took a better look at her, he noticed that the skin on her leg was wounded, there were bruises here and there and even on her arms. But her hood and strangely cut short brown hair hid a pretty face.  
Noir smiled a little and answered casually, "They just let me out."  
The girl's eyes widened. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. This happened a few times more, before she finally asked, "What?"  
Noir shrugged while still smiling at his partner. He enjoyed her reaction a bit, though he didn't understand what was so interesting about his trip in the castle.  
"As I said. The guards brought me in, and the lord let me out. I've done nothing bad after all…"  
"But… but… but you just used magic! They don't let mages walk away, like nothing happened!"  
The boy spread his arms and said, "Looks like they do."  
Shaking her head, she continued the questioning. "You must have done something, or said something that made them change their mind."  
"Well I did promise something…"  
"What?" she stepped closer.  
"These Chasind. They spread sickness around by biting people. The lord said there is an old hag living at the edge of the third village who knows the cure for it. I need to recruit some helpers, and go find this old woman."  
The girl nodded and went silent for a little. She furrowed her brow, and Noir could see that she was thinking deeply, so he decided not to interrupt.  
„Very well." -she said finally- „I'm going to follow you until this madness is resolved."  
Noir's smile widened at her quite unexpected decision. First he is finally able to demonstrate his talent in magic, the he gets an important task from the lord of the villages itself, and then this girl shows up and decides to be his follower. This must be his lucky day. He turned to the girl, "You haven't even told me your name. Mine is Noir."  
"Gaeta."

There was something strange yet nice about this kid, besides the fact that he was stupid enough to show off his magic. He seemed… so naive.  
That is a very dangerous trait to have for a mage. And yet here she was, following Noir against her own common sense. Maybe it was because of his long black hair that seemed unnaturally soft. Or his big, innocent eyes.  
Gaeta was looking at her own feet while they walked, but now she raised her head to look at the boy walking just a little bit before her. The dark "wizards cape" he was wearing looked ridiculous in her opinion, but Noir seemed really proud of it. It's part of his image he said.  
His walk was confident and light. For the past two months Gaeta only knew stealth and frantic rushing. _How can he be like this?_  
Then she finally understood it. He does not know.  
Living isolated in his little village, Noir still had no idea what had been happening to mages on the outside. The hiding, the hunt, the Circle. The wrath of the templars. He walks in this stupid outfit, and casts spells because he knows nothing about the dangers of being a magic user.  
Realizing this, her heart sank. This boy could walk up to a group of armed templars, talk about what a wonderful day it is for magic, maybe even offer to cast a rejuvenation spell for them and they would kill him in an instant. Not to mention he could blow her cover. Gaeta reluctantly reminded herself what happened the last time she almost got detected…  
She walked up to Noir, and placed her hand on his shoulder. Noir looked back, surprised by her touch.  
"Please promise me, that you will never again use magic when anyone is around," she said, trying her best pleading glance in case he wanted to continue showing his magic skills to the world. To her relief, Noir smiled and nodded, "I wont, don't worry."  
She returned the smile, and they continued their way back. Soon they reached the others, and it seemed that the guards had herded inside. The courtyard around the castle was separated in to three, and the largest one was already filled with people. She felt unpleasant from the thought that they have to get through this huge mass to reach the gate. She wanted to discuss this with Noir, but then a young woman stepped up to him and began to talk. Gaeta could not make out what were they talking about, because everyone around them was shouting and complaining. After exchanging a few words, Noir turned back to her,  
"This lady wants to take me to her leader. They want to talk to me. I'll be back soon, wait here for me," he shouted the last words, as they had already began to disappear in the crowd.  
Gaeta tried to follow them with her eyes as long as she could, but they got out of sight very quickly. People were pushing her, and stepping on her feet and she could feel the urge to run away. She sighed, and tried to get to the closest wall.  
_I hope you get back soon Noir_, she thought. _Very soon._


	2. Chapter 2

Giacommo was sitting on a crate, watching as the main courtyard filled up with people. They were upset, confused and angry, complaining about the situation and calling out for their friends and family members. About an hour ago rabid Chasind Wilders swarmed out of the nearby woods; with blind rage they started to destroy the camp and many of the outside folk were wounded.

_„Their eyes glowed with madness, and their mouths foamed!"_ Giacommo heard a man saying, when he and his soldiers got ushered through the gate.  
_„No, no! Don't take my housband! Don't take him!"_ cried a woman. She streched out her arms, writhing in an effort to get out of the grip of the guard who was holding her back. Two other were dragging away a man who could barely stand on his own. The soldiers at the gate checked all the people for bitemarks, and those who had been found with any were led away and separated. Luckily Giacommo and his caravan were found to be healthy. All they had to do now was to wait for this chaos to end. But he did not have the patience for this. He was a businessman, well-known for his precision and seriousness. A delay was something that he could not permit for himself.  
The solution was right in front of his eyes, being pulled towards the castle for his reckless action during the Chasind attack. Loretta had already been commanded to find the mage boy and retrieve him. The youngster showed talent and after walking out the castle as a free man, Giacommo was sure that this boy knew something. Common mages do not walk away after being arrested.  
Loretta was his right-hand, the only one he really trusted and hoped that one day might take over the business. She was smart, swift and agile in battle. It's not like the caravan got into fights often... but as lyrium-smugglers they could never be to careful.  
It didn't take long for Loretta to return with the boy. Giacommo smiled approvingly at the woman then turned to the mage.

Noir was still thinking about how strange this day had turned out. Strange... but good. When he woke up today he only expected to have a few drinks and buy some „magical" artifact from a vendor. But now he is on a quest –a serious one!  
This girl, Gaeta... seems like a troubled girl. When she stood so close and looked in to his eyes, he saw something move behind the strong barrier of anger and harshness. Was it fear? Noir didn't consider himself a good judge of human nature, and he had only just met Gaeta but that flash in her eyes intrigued him. Besides, he found her really pretty. Even in these well-worn clothes she looked far better than the peasant girls around here.  
Noir glanced back to take a quick look at her_. It is strange... but there is some kind of grace in her walk,_ he thought. Gaeta was looking at the ground while they walked, every step she took was careful and silent. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.  
He turned his face away and continued to analyze today's the events in his mind. He got carried away by his thoughts too, so he almost jumped when a hand softly touched his shoulder.  
It was Gaeta and she looked very concerned, _"Please promise me, that you will never again use magic when anyone is around,"_ she said.  
And there it was again. The fear, now clear and sharp as the edge of a broken glass was glimmering in those amber eyes. Noir could feel it cutting in his own soul too, and it scared him. He wished he could reassure her that everything was fine, but he knew that Gaeta wouldn't understand it. All he could do was smile and say _"I won't, don't worry."_  
Gaeta smiled back at him and they continued their way back to the largest courtyard. The noise of man shouting and woman crying got louder and louder as they neared the main yard. When they finally reached the entrance where the two courtyards met, it was nearly deafening. The main yard was full of confused people wanting to know why they were pushed in there, and when they will be released.  
Noir was surprised. He suspected that there would be some serious measures because of the Chasind attack but he had not expected this. People being herded like cattle. It seemed rude to him.  
He noticed a figure heading for them through the mass. A young woman in fine clothes, and as she got closer Noir saw that she was wearing a beautiful pearl-necklace. If her outfit didn't made it clear that she's not a Fereldan, her tanned skin did.  
_"Boy, I have to ask you to follow me now."_ she said when she reached them,_ "My master is an important man, and he wishes to talk to you. Alone."_ at the end, she made a quick nod at the direction of Gaeta.  
_"Oh… I see."_ Noir said. He did not like the idea of leaving the girl behind, but this lady seemed to be serious and she was already tapping her feet impatiently. He realized this was more like a command than an offer and refusal was probably not an option.  
_Whoa_ -he thought, -_Looks like fame has it dark sides too._

Then Sun has almost set, and Gaeta was thinking about the past two months. If she hadn't been so curious about Noir's fate she would be far away from here now. Setting camp in wilderness, alone and afraid. She had been like this for so long now, it almost felt good to be surrounded by humans again. But she still didn't feel safe.  
Anyways, Noir would get her out of this place and that is what mattered. She could only hope that finding the old hag and the cure would go easily, so she could say goodbye and continue on her own way. Gaeta was sure that a mage couldn't trust anyone, not even a fellow mage. Besides, a companion would only slow her down and Noir didn't look like the survivor-type guy.  
_Just let's hope that he doesn't want to be my friend… or more_. –she thought.  
A deep, heavy sigh left her body as unwanted feelings clenched her heart.  
Then she noticed a familiar figure in the crowd walking towards her, accompanied by the woman she saw earlier. Noir looked happy, and he waved his hand at her. Gaeta suppressed her aching feelings back in the deepest part of her soul, and smiled back.


	3. Chapter 3

The plan was rather simple. The young mage had permission to leave the place, and Giacommo in turn had the money to provide anything they would need; including a swordsman. Albeit Loretta was a skilled rogue, in the current situation she was more the trader's representative than his warrior in this quest.  
"You get the balm for this illness as soon as you can, and I will abundantly reward your efforts." said Giacommo to the youngster, and to emphasize his words he rattled a small purse of silver. Noir, who had never held more than a few silvers in his hands before, needed no more convincing. He warily took the purse and assessed its hefty weight with surprise.  
_Well that's an amount_, he thought and grinned widely._ We can buy a lot of things with this! Mother will be so happy too! _He raised up his head proudly and tried to look more resolute while answering the merchant:  
"Dear Sir, I will pull off this mission so fast that... that..." suddenly he became hesitant, racking his brain to come up with a witty metaphor, but failing that, he simply finished with "you'll be really surprised."  
Giacommo snorted and motioned that they should leave.  
Loretta had already packed everything that she considered important for the road and was waiting silently for the departure. In her mind, she ascertained how unprepared this kid was, and she could already see the catastrophic consequences this would entail. Honestly speaking, she didn't understand why they were putting their fate -and money- in the hands of such an unlucky guy, instead of sliding it into the pockets of the appropriate ones.  
But she wasn't the leader of this caravan and Maker save her from becoming it. These years, that were spent either doing business with the Chantry or running from it, had taught her one thing for sure: she hated this very much.  
In front of her was a mirror leaning against the crates. She could see herself in it, the dust and dirt covering her blouse, her sunburnt skin, and her long, wavy hair. Loretta was aware of her own aptitudes and that she should deserve esteem and respect for them.  
That's exactly why she was so annoyed that her reflection showed a mangy Fereldan refugee , not an Antivan lady. She didn't mind stabbing someone in the back, but was not keen on sleeping in some lousy village on a pallet, or chasing some crazy old hag in the woods.  
She awaited the day when she would finally have a chance for a new life, but until then, she would do what she must.  
"Come on lad," she warned Noir, "we don't have all day."

"Wow, I still can' believe that this is happening to me. Amazing. Really!" Noir kept going on and on, but soon he quickly found out that his new partner wasn't really interested in his enthusiasm.  
_Oh whatever_, he though, _like I care. This is my day!  
_He was excessively happy, and his stomach twitched pleasantly from thinking about the adventures that might be waiting for him. A strange tickling feeling that he had never experienced before filled him up. He also may have been a little bit scared of the sudden responsibility that had fallen on him, but this was the chance he had been waiting for his whole life and there was no way he was letting it slip away. He would finally prove that he was no simple peasant boy, but was meant for bigger things.  
Through the crowd Noir spotted Gaeta standing next to the wall and gazing broodingly into the distance. Whilst she was too far to see for sure, he imagined that the setting sun's light made her eyes glow even brighter, and if he would look into them now, all her secrets would show.  
The girl spotted them and just as her eyes met with his, Noir got a feeling that if he could hold her gaze for more than a few seconds he would surely do something very stupid out of confusion.  
He started to grin like a Cheshire cat and waving his hand awkwardly towards Gaeta.  
_For the love of Andraste, what am I doing_, he thought and quickly began talking to Loretta about the weather and the nutrition habit of the guinea fowl. But then the woman gave him a look like she just saw a half-mad dwarf cartwheeling, so the young lad just lowered his head and tried not to make things worse with his fumbling.  
Finally after some irrationally long moments they reached Gaeta, and Noir made a forlorn attempt to draw up the situation like a manly man:  
"Uhm. Let's go then."  
Gaeta raised one eyebrow then looked at Loretta, who shrugged, as if she was saying: "Should I know?"  
"My name is Loretta" she said after realizing that waiting for an explanation from the boy was futile. "My boss is willing to finance your mission so I am joining to help in what I can. Also, I'll be looking out so you two won't try to get away with the cash." she added, accompanied by a mordant smile.  
"_Our_ mission? _We_ get away?" Gaeta returned, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly. "Calm down, I only met Noir half an hour ago. There is no _us_."  
The mentioned one coughed nervously.  
Both women turned to him at the same time, so suddenly that the dusty ground of the yard became extremely interesting and he devoted all his interest to it. For a couple of minutes they enjoyed this awkward situation, then Loretta broke the silence.  
"Whatever. It's time to go, we'll already be completing most of the road in darkness."  
The other two agreed with this and so they began walking towards the exit. The group was fairly close when something caught Noir's attention. In the distance, chaos broke out as the village's smith, fed up with waiting, decided to take things in hand. The guards tried to hold him back but they were no match for this incredibly big man's strength.  
He swept them aside as though they were just annoying flies and, like a wild bull, he started to break a path for himself through the crowd. Seeing this, the young mage had found out two things:  
First, the smith could be a great help in case they got into a fight during the quest. On the other hand, if he managed to rein him, he might also win Gaeta's respect and hopefully an embarrassing occasion like the one before could be avoided in the future.  
Noir pulled his cape's hood over his face until he could barely manage to see from under it. He dramatically stretched out his arm in front on the two ladies, and said:  
"Just leave it to me."  
As the frightened people tried to get out of the way of the raging smith, a relatively wide path opened up between them. That's where Noir stepped out, crossed his arms before his chest and waited. Loretta and Gaeta were only regarding it with dismay, thinking the boy was joking. Only when Noir still hadn't moved from his place and was only minutes away from being stomped to death, the girls began to comprehend that no, he was dead serious.  
Before any of them could have prevented the forthcoming tragedy, someone was faster. Two arms reached out from quasi nothing and yanked the young mage out of the way of death.

It took a few seconds for Noir to understand what just happened. Clinging to a thin but strong arm he got up and took a look around. The smith, despite his stature, raced away quick as lightning, leaving screams of fright and cussing behind. When he disappeared from sight, Gaeta showed up immediately, angry as a furia.  
"Are you completely out of your mind? What the heck was that?"  
The lad didn't answer, instead he turned back to see who had baffled his plan. The figure was wrapped in rags like a dirty nobody, the type that usually showed up everywhere but that none seemed to notice. The stranger's hood slipped back, thus revealing the tattooed face of an elf. He appeared to be Dalish.  
"Who the hell are you?" Noir was slightly trembling. He assured himself, that it's was anger and not fear making his hands shake. If it wasn't for this dirty elf, he could have done it. He could...  
"A thank you wouldn't have hurt, but oh well." snickered his saviour. "My name is Avalon, pleased to meet you."


End file.
